Thill-coupling.



PATENTED DEC. 15, 1908.

S. W. BALDWIN. THILL COUPLING. APPLICATION FILEDJUNE 18, 1903.

no MODEL.

UNITED STATES Patented December 15, 1903.

PATENT Erich.

STEPHEN W. BALDWIN, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TOOHRISTOPHER G. BRADLEY, OF SYRACUSE, NEW YORK.

THILL-COUPLING.'

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 747,292, dated December 15, 1903. Application filed June 18, 1903. Serial No. 161,963. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, STEPHEN W. BALDWIN,

of New York, in the county of New York, in

the State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Thin-Couplings, of which the following, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to improvements in thill-couplings, and refers more particularly to a specific form of packing which is interposed between the draft-eye and coupling pin and is specially adapted for use in connection with a draft-eye and coupling-pin and having spherical bearing-faces.

My object is to provide a simple and efficient covering for the sphericalsurface, which is easily and quickly formed and applied to said surface by simply winding or wrapping the same spirally thereon and which is engaged by the jaws of the draft-eye and held from movement by mere friction, so that the spherical body of the coupling-pin is free to rock in the packing, whereby the friction between the metal parts is avoided, and the longer the packing is used the better it conforms to the spherical bearing-faces until it assumes a definite and permanent form closely fitting upon said bearing-faces at every point.

Further objects and uses will appear in the subsequent description.

In the. drawings, Figure 1 is an elevation of a thill-coupling embodying the features of my invention, the parts being shown in their inoperative position. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of one'end of the thill-iron, showing the coupling-pin and my improved packing mounted thereon. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the end of the thill-iron, showing the coupling-pin. Fig. 4: is a perspective view of the detached packing-strip partially distended. Fig. 5 is a plan of the developed packing-strip.

Similar reference characters indicate corresponding parts in all the views.

In demonstrating the practicability of my invention I have shown a draft-eye 1 and a thill-iron 2, havinga coupling-pin 3, the drafteye being composed of a fixed jaw or section 4 and a movable jaw or section 5, which latter is pivoted to the front end of the fixed jaw at 6, and both jaws are provided with partially-spherical sockets or bearing-faces 7. (Shown by dotted lines in Fig. 1.) These bearing-faces being well understood, it is believed to be unnecessary to further illustraie or describe the same. The fixed jaw or section is secured to the axle, as 8, by a suitable clip, as 9, and the movable section is provided with a hook-shaped extremity, as 10, which is adapted to be engaged by one end of a link 11, the other end being pivotally connected to a lever 12 at one side of its fulcrum 13, said fulcrum being mounted upon one end of a spring 14, while the other end of the spring is secured to one leg of the clip 9 by clamping-nuts 15 and is formed with an upturned end orshoulder 16, abutting against the front face ofthe upper lock-nut 15.

The coupling-pin 3 is provided with a spher- 7o ical body or bearing-surface 17, upon which is wound or wrapped a packing-strip 18, of leather or equivalent material. This packing-strip is formed of greater length than the circumference of the spherical surface 17, but of less width than its diameter, and is wound spirally upon the surface 17 from end to end or pole to pole of said surface, so as to completely inclose the same. In order that this packing-strip may readily conform to the spherical surface and itself assume the form of a spherical shell, the opposite ends of the strip are tapered and terminate in sharp points at the extremities, so that when it is wound upon the spherical portion of the coupling-pin there will be no projecting ends and the assembled strip will assume a symmetrical spherical shape. When this couplingpin,with its packing, is inserted into the drafteye and clamped in position between the jaws 0 4t and 5,the frictional engagement of the spherical bearings 7 of the jaws operate to shape the packing so as to fit closely against the spherical bearing-surfaces of both the jaws and coupling-pin at all points, and the area of the bear- 5 ing-surface of the jaws being greater than that of the spherical surface of the couplingpin it is evident that the packing will be held from rotary movement by the mere friction of the bearing-surfaces of the jaws thereon, while the coupling-pin will be free to rock in the packing. It will thus be seen that after the packing has been in use for a short time it becomes seatedthat is, it is made to conform to the exact contour of the surfaces with which it comes in contact-and the continued use gives it permanent form, so that its utility is enhanced, and the liability to abrasion or displacement is greatly lessened by its continued use. In making this packing a narrow strip of leather orequivalent material is first moistened or, as it is usually termed, soaked and is then wound around a spherical core and pressed into spherical form by suitable concave dies, after which operation it is allowed to dry while under pressure on the core. This fixes the spherical shape of the packing,which when sufficiently dry is rewound from the core by unwinding and may then be applied to the coupling-pin by opening or springing one end of the spiral strip outwardly and slipping over the pin and then screwing the same onto the spherical surface of the pin until it entirely envelops said surface.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a thill coupling, an eye having a spherical socket, in combination with a coupling-pin having a spherical body, and a packing-strip of greater length than the circumference of the spherical body and wrapped or wound upon said body.

2. In a thill coupling, an eye having a spherical socket, in combination with a coupling-pin having a circular body, and a packing-strip wound spirally upon said body.

3. In a thill coupling, an eye having a spherical socket, in combination with a coupling-pin havinga circular body, and a packing-strip of greater length than the circumference of said body and wrapped or wound thereon. 7

4:. In a thillcoupling, an eye having a spherical socket, in combination with a coupling-pin having a spherical body, and a packing-strip of greater length than the circumference of the spherical body and wrapped or wound spirally upon said body.

5. In a thill-coupling, clamping-jaws having partially-spherical sockets, in combination with a coupling-pin having a spherical surface, and a packing-strip wound spirally upon said surface and engaged by the walls of said sockets.

6. In a thill-coupling, clamping-jaws having partially-spherical sockets, in combination with a coupling-pin having a spherical surface, and a packing-strip of less width than the diameter, but of greater length than the circumference of the spherical surface and wrapped or wound upon said surface to inclose thesame, the walls of the sockets engaging with the surface of the packing-strip.

7. A spirally-wound packing for thill-couplings having a concave inner surface and a convex outer surface.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 15th day of June, 1903.

STEPHEN W. BALDWIN.

Witnesses:

' H. V. DU PONT,

JOHN I. JAY, Jr. 

